DCF report says call to 911 delayed in fatal foster baby mauling case

A newly-released DCF report on the fatal dog mauling of foster baby Khloe Williams did not reveal a system breakdown in her Pinellas foster care but does raise questions about a delayed call for help to 911.

The baby died shortly after the dog attack. 

The Critical Incident Rapid Response Team (CIRRT) report found no fault with the reason Khloe was in foster care or the qualifications and actions of her foster parents and caseworkers involved in the case.

Khloe, who was a 7 ½ month old infant, died on Oct. 5 from lethal injuries sustained in the dog attack at the home of a 72-year-old babysitter, Pamela Maser.

According to the report, Maser placed the crying baby in a car seat while preparing a bottle and attempted to take the dog out of a crate and take it outside when the dog started barking. 

That’s when the dog suddenly attacked the baby.

“Mrs. Maser pried the dog’s mouth open and put her outside,” according to the report.

Maser tried to call her son, the foster father who is also a Clearwater Police Detective, but only reached his voice mail. The report says Maser then called her husband, a retired Clearwater Deputy Police Chief and asked him to come home.

After the attack, the report says Khloe was crying and bleeding so Maser took her into the bathroom to wash her face.

The foster father then called her back and when she told him what happened he instructed her to call 911.

According to the CIRRT report, Khloe was whimpering and became unresponsive by the time the foster parents arrived 15 minutes later.

At some point paramedics arrived.

Khloe was transported to the hospital and subsequently pronounced dead.

The report mentions the dog passed an aggression test when adopted earlier in the year but does not cite a previous dog bite incident as previously reported by 8 On Your Side. 

The DCF CIRRT report does not place blame on anyone for Khloe’s death.

“Based on prudent parenting, the decision to leave Khloe with Pamela Maser, as a babysitter, was appropriate,” the report states.

The Pinellas State Attorney’s Office is currently reviewing the Clearwater police investigation of the fatal mauling before deciding whether any criminal charges are warranted.

Attorneys for the baby’s biological mother have asked the governor to intercede, citing a conflict of interest with Clearwater police investigating the case.

The police chief insists there is no conflict.